Credit Card debt in Australia

[deathnote]

Hi Guys,

I have a credit card debt between $1000 to $1500 with an Australian bank and I will be leaving Australia in a few months. I am an International Student here and can't afford to pay it off before I move back to Asia. I will not be coming back to Australia. Will the bank try to come after me over a $1500 debt? If i don't pay, could there be a criminal case against me in an Australian court ? Also, could this debt affect me in any way getting any visas for EU or US in the future.

Thanks.

Edited July 17, 2013 by deathnote

[dx100uk]

nope

 

read the threads and the stickies in this forum.

civil debt is not a criminal matter.

[deathnote]

I think I found the answer to my last 2 questions on the forum. So my main concern is will the blood suckers come after me for $1500 or sell the debt to a collecting agency ?

[unclebulgaria67]

I think I found the answer to my last 2 questions on the forum. So my main concern is will the blood suckers come after me for $1500 or sell the debt to a collecting agency ?

 

Yes they will chase the debt at your last known address and will at some point sell to a debt collection agency. They might gain a court judgement against you. But trying to enforce the debt outside Australia would not be easy and I am not sure they would bother for such a small debt. If the debt was for say £40k + they might be willing to spend money on court and legal fees. For a debt of less than £10k, it would not be worth incurring court/legal fees, with little chance of a return.

 

In your situation, once you have left Australia you should write to the card company saying that you have left Australia and that your circumstances unfortunately do not allow you to be able to make any payments towards the account. At least then you have told them. Up to you whether you give them your address in Asia.

[deathnote]

So i'm a bit confused. What does a court judgement mean if debt is a civil and not criminal case? I wont be returning to Australia,so how will the court judgement affect me. The court will order me to pay $1500, if I don't, it still won't result in a criminal conviction in Oz ?

[unclebulgaria67]

So i'm a bit confused. What does a court judgement mean if debt is a civil and not criminal case? I wont be returning to Australia,so how will the court judgement affect me. The court will order me to pay $1500, if I don't, it still won't result in a criminal conviction in Oz ?

 

Not criminal, only civil. Court judgement would just say you owed $1500. But with a court judgement, they could if they wanted to, look to enforce the judgement in the country where you were resident. For such a small debt, they probably would not bother to look to enforce in a court, but you might receive communications asking you to make payments.

 

Civil debt enforcement in a court where you are resident would allow the creditors the available options where you are resident. This might be a formal request to come to a payment arrangement, deduction of sums from your wages, appointing bailiff or court officers to visit you to obtain payments or goods to the value of the debt.

 

Would not worry about it, but you can expect to be chased for the debt, if your Asian address is found.